• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• 제14권4호
• /
• pp.411-416
• /
• 2011

We investigated the nutritional status of the melania snail (Semisulcospira gottschei) using RNA/DNA ratios to evaluate the effect of feeding conditions (artificial versus natural) on the reaction times of the snails in a time course following starvation. In the short experiments (48 h), the RNA/DNA ratios of the artificial feeding groups were significantly higher than those of the natural groups. While two RNA/DNA ratio peaks were observed in the artificial food group during daytime, the natural food group showed a higher ratio at night. Under starvation conditions, the RNA content decreased whereas the DNA content was constant. The RNA/DNA ratios of the freshwater snail in both groups dramatically decreased after starvation and remained constant until the end of the experiment. We verified that the RNA/DNA ratio serves as an index of nutritional condition with respect to the effect of dietary differences. These results are important for understanding optimized aquaculture rearing conditions for this important commercial freshwater snail.

• 한국수산과학회지
• /
• 제50권3호
• /
• pp.296-301
• /
• 2017

We conducted a study to 1) determine the indicators of gonadal maturity in male and female Korean walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma for the purposes of artificial insemination; 2) establish the RNA/DNA ratio of mature eggs in this species; and 3) monitor the effect of refrigerated storage on egg viability and the motility of sperm collected from dead adult males. During the spawning season, the color of female gonads changed from orange to transparent, and that of male gonads changed from pale orange to milky white. The DNA content and RNA/DNA ratio of mature eggs were maintained without significant changes for approximately 6 h when eggs were preserved at $4^{\circ}C$. Sperm could be obtained from both milt and undiluted semen. Sperm obtained from milt ceased moving on the second day after isolation, while over 60% of sperm obtained from semen showed movement until the 13th day. Seven attempts were made to artificially inseminate mature eggs, of which two resulted in successful fertilization. The successful inseminations produced 94,000 and 5,000 fertilized eggs, respectively. This study shows that artificial insemination of walleye pollock is a viable strategy when natural propagation is not possible.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
• /
• 제13권6호
• /
• pp.1527-1543
• /
• 2017

MiRNA is a biological short sequence, which plays a crucial role in almost all important biological process. MiRNA patterns are common sequence segments of multiple mature miRNA sequences, and they are of significance in identifying miRNAs due to the functional implication in miRNA patterns. In the proposed approach, the primary miRNA patterns are produced from sequence alignment, and they are then cut into short segment miRNA patterns. From the segment miRNA patterns, the candidate miRNA patterns are selected based on estimated probability, and from which, the potential miRNA patterns are further selected according to the classification performance between authentic and artificial miRNA sequences. Three parameters are suggested that bi-nucleotides are employed to compute the estimated probability of segment miRNA patterns, and top 1% segment miRNA patterns of length four in the order of estimated probabilities are selected as potential miRNA patterns.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• 제13권6호
• /
• pp.2813-2818
• /
• 2012

Background: Considerable evidence suggests that metadherin (MTDH) is a potentially crucial mediator of tumor malignancy and an important therapeutic target for simultaneously enhancing chemotherapy efficacy and reducing metastasis risk. Inhibition of MTDH expression by RNA interference has been shown in several previous research, but silencing MTDH expression by microRNA (miRNA) interference in breast cancer has not been established. In the present study, we investigated the role of MTDH-miRNA in down-regulation of proliferation, motility and migration of breast carcinoma cells. Methods: Expression vectors of recombinant plasmids expressing artificial MTDH miRNA were constructed and transfected to knockdown MTDH expression in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Expression of MTDH mRNA and protein was detected by RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. MTT assays were conducted to determine proliferation, and wound healing assays and transwell migration experiments for cell motility and migration. Results: Transfection of recombinant a plasmid of pcDNA-MTDH-miR-4 significantly suppressed the MTDH mRNA and protein levels more than 69% in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. This knockdown significantly inhibited proliferation, motility and migration as compared with controls. Conclusions: MTDH-miRNA may play an important role in down-regulating proliferation, motility and migration in breast cancer cells, and should be considered as a potential small molecule inhibitor therapeutic targeting strategy for the future.

• 한국생명과학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국생명과학회 2007년도 제48회 학술심포지움 및 추계국제학술대회
• /
• pp.102.2-102.2
• /
• 2007

See Full Text

• 한국정보과학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 한국정보과학회 2005년도 한국컴퓨터종합학술대회 논문집 Vol.32 No.1 (B)
• /
• pp.256-258
• /
• 2005

올리고뉴크레오타이드 서열의 디자인은 일반 분자 생물학 뿐만 아니라 DNA 컴퓨팅 분야에서도 중요한 문제이다. DNA나 RNA와 같은 생체 물질간의 화학반응을 이용하여 계산을 수행하는데 사용되는 염기 서열의 품질은 계산의 정확도에 큰 영향을 미치기 때문에, 문제의 특성에 따른 요구 조건에 안는 염기 서열을 디자인 하기위한 방법에 대해 여러 가지 연구가 있어왔다. 기존의 DNA 컴퓨팅을 위한 염기서열 디자인은 주어진 녹는점의 범위에서 단순히 서로 독립적인 염기서열들의 집합을 디자인 하거나, 분자생물학 실험에 사용되는 올리고 프로브나 프라이머 셋을 디자인 하는 것을 중심으로 이루어졌다. 반면, 본 논문에서는 세포에서 추출된 DNA/RNA 분자가 섞여있는 환경에서 어느 DNA/RNA 분자와도 흔성화 반응물 하지않는 범용 올리고뉴클레오타이드 태그를 디자인하는 간단한 유전 알고리즘을 제시하며, 이를 이용해서 디자인된 염기서열 결과를 제시한다.

• BMB Reports
• /
• 제47권11호
• /
• pp.619-624
• /
• 2014

Antisense RNA is a type of noncoding RNA (ncRNA) that binds to complementary mRNA sequences and induces gene repression by inhibiting translation or degrading mRNA. Recently, several small ncRNAs (sRNAs) have been identified in Escherichia coli that act as antisense RNA mainly via base pairing with mRNA. The base pairing predominantly leads to gene repression, and in some cases, gene activation. In the current study, we examined how the location of target sites affects sRNA-mediated gene regulation. An efficient antisense RNA expression system was developed, and the effects of antisense RNAs on various target sites in a model mRNA were examined. The target sites of antisense RNAs suppressing gene expression were identified, not only in the translation initiation region (TIR) of mRNA, but also at the junction between the coding region and 3' untranslated region. Surprisingly, an antisense RNA recognizing the upstream region of TIR enhanced gene expression through increasing mRNA stability.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• 제28권4호
• /
• pp.341-345
• /
• 2009

MiRNAs are non-coding RNAs that play a role in the regulation of major processes. The inhibition of miRNAs using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) is a unique and effective technique for the characterization and subsequent therapeutic targeting of miRNA function. Recent advances in ASO chemistry have been used to increase both the resistance to nucleases and the target affinity and specificity of these ASOs. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are artificial oligonucleotides constructed on a peptide-like backbone. PNAs have a stronger affinity and greater specificity to DNA or RNA than natural nucleic acids and are resistant to nucleases, which is an essential characteristic for a miRNA inhibitor that will be exposed to serum and cellular nucleases. For increasing cell penetration, PNAs were conjugated with cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) at N-terminal. Among the tested CPPs, Tat-modified peptide-conjugated PNAs have most effective function for miRNA inhibition. PNA-based ASO was more effective miRNA inhibitor than other DNA-based ASOs and did not show cytotoxicity at concentration up to 1,000 nM. The effects of PNA-based ASOs were shown to persist for 9 days. Also, PNA-based ASOs showed considerable stability at storage temperature. These results suggest that PNA-based ASOs are more effective ASOs of miRNA than DNA-based ASOs and PNA-based ASO technology, compared with other technologies used to inhibit miRNA activity can be an effective tool for investigating miRNA functions.

• 생명과학회지
• /
• 제12권1호
• /
• pp.96-105
• /
• 2002

식물 단백질의 영양가 향상을 위한 일환으로 필수아미노산의 조성이 풍부한 인공단백질을 암호화하는 인공유전자를 담배 식물체에서 발현을 시도하기 위하여, 식물에서 외래유전자의 발현에 널리 사용되는 Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV)의 35S promoter를 이중으로 중첩되도록 하고, (Lys-Glu-Trp)이 64번 반복되는 인공유전자 및 nopaline synthase (nos) terminator를 갖고있는 binary vector pART4-4를 구성하였다. 이 재조합 플라스미드는 Agrobacterium tumefaciens를 이용한 형질전환에 의해 Nicotiann tabacum (Var. Xanthi)으로 도입되었다. Kanamycin이 포함된 신초 유도 배지 및 뿌리 유도배지를 이용하여 정상적으로 재생된 담배 식물체로부터 도입된 인공유전자의 발현을 분석하였다. 추출한 genomic DNA를 EcoRI으로 자른 다음 Southern blot 분석에 의하면, 효소 절단 시 예상되는 1.1 kb에서 band를 형성하였으며 각각의 형질전환 식물체에 인공유전자가 1 또는 3 개씩 도입되어 있음을 확인하였다. Northern blot 분석에 의하면 약 1.2 kb 전사체가 비교적 안정하게 발현되었으며, 잎, 줄기, 뿌리로부터 RNA를 분리하여 promoter의 조직 특이성 발현을 분석한 결과, 잎에서 생성되는 RNA가 줄기나 뿌리 조직보다 안정하게 발현되었다. 형질전환 식물체에서 Western blot에 의한 단백질 분석 결과, 잎에서 추출한 단백질로부터 원하는 크기인 33 kDa의 인공단백질이 생성됨을 확인하였으며 발현 수준은 전체 세포 단백질의 0.1%로서 낮은 수준이었다.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• 제35권4호
• /
• pp.1087-1090
• /
• 2014

A simple and general method that selectively introduces metal binding sites into a protein can greatly increase the ability to design and biosynthesize artificial metalloproteins. Here, we report the incorporation of a phenanthroline-containing amino acid (Phen-Ala) into proteins in Escherichia coli by using the $tRNA{^{Tyr}}_{CUA}$ and tyrosyl aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase pair (BpyRS) from Methanococcus jannaschii, which was originally developed for a bipyridine-containing amino acid (Bpy-Ala). The incorporation efficiency of BpyRS for Phen-Ala was comparable to that for Bpy-Ala. Because of its high metal-binding ability and characteristic spectral properties, Phen-Ala can be a useful alternative to the existing metal-chelating amino acids for the design and synthesis of artificial metalloproteins.